Selection Of Diluent Research Articles

Screening diluents to optimize cesium contaminant separation using t-BAMBP extractant

The widespread use of nuclear energy has raised concerns about nuclear safety and radioactive waste management, particularly due to the release of radioactive cesium. This study investigates the use of t-BAMBP (4-tert-butyl-2-(α-methylbenzyl) phenol) for the extraction and separation of cesium from simulate high concentration cesium containing wastewater, focusing on the selection of suitable diluents to enhance the efficiency of the process. We performed a systematic study using density functional theory (DFT) calculations to evaluate the intrinsic properties and interactions of various common diluents with t-BAMBP. The diluents studied include aromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, xylene), alkanes (cyclohexane, hexane, heptane), and alcohols (hexanol, octanol). Our computational results revealed that cyclohexane is the most suitable diluent due to its moderate solvation-free energy, high nonpolarity, and optimal balance between solubility and reactivity. Experimental validation confirmed the computational findings. The cyclohexane-diluted t-BAMBP system achieved the highest cesium extraction efficiency of over 94 %, with a separation factor (βCs/K) of 767.67. Cyclohexane demonstrated the lowest toxicity and cost among the diluents evaluated, making it a safer and more economical choice for practical applications. The results of this study provide a comprehensive theoretical and experimental basis for the selection of diluents in the t-BAMBP extraction system, offering insights for the sustainable utilization of cesium resources and effective management of radioactive waste.

Effect of functionality of diluents on digital light processing (DLP) based three‐dimensional (3D) printing of UV‐curable bisphenol A‐based epoxy acrylate resin

AbstractDigital light processing (DLP) based three‐dimensional (3D) printing technology which uses photocurable resin has been a center of interest due to its printing accuracy and printing speed. In our research, we have synthesized and modified the bisphenol A‐based epoxy acrylate resin for the DLP 3D printer having a printing accuracy of 50 μm. As the viscosity plays an important role in printing accuracy, the resin was modified with mono‐functional, di‐functional, tri‐functional, and combination of di‐tri functional acrylate diluents as well as with photoinitiator to achieve the desired level of viscosity. The process parameters like curing time and intensity were optimized using the DLP 3D printer. The uncured and UV‐cured samples were characterized using FTIR‐ATR, 1HNMR, UV–VISIBLE, and TGA techniques. The analysis of the uncured and UV‐cured samples was carried out using viscosity, gel content, water absorption, and chemical resistance test. The mechanical properties of the UV‐cured samples were determined using hardness and tensile strength test. The 3D‐printed samples were observed under high‐resolution microscope to confirm the printing quality and resolution. The resulting outcome confirmed that the proper selection of diluents is an important parameter for achieving the good quality and resolution of samples printed using the DLP 3D printer technology.Highlights Synthesis and modification of UV‐curable resin Selection of diluents for controlling the processablility of UV‐curable resin Optimization of process parameters for DLP based 3D printer 3D printing of samples having good quality, resolution and feature size.

Highly Stable Lithium Metal Batteries Enabled by Tuning the Molecular Polarity of Diluents in Localized High-Concentration Electrolytes.

Electrolyte plays a crucial role in ensuring stable operation of lithium metal batteries (LMBs). Localized high-concentration electrolytes (LHCEs) have the potential to form a robust solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) and mitigate Li dendrite growth, making them a highly promising electrolyte option. However, the principles governing the selection of diluents, a crucial component in LHCE, have not been clearly determined, hampering the advancement of such a type of electrolyte systems. Herein, the diluents from the perspective of molecular polarity are rationally designed and developed. A moderately fluorinated solvent, 1-(1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethoxy)propane (TNE), is employed as a diluent to create a novel LHCE. The unique molecular structure of TNE enhances the intrinsic dipole moment, thereby altering solvent interactions and the coordination environment of Li-ions in LHCE. The achieved solvation structure not only enhances the bulk properties of LHCE, but also facilitates the formation of more stable anion-derived SEIs featured with a higher proportion of inorganic species. Consequently, the corresponding full cells of both Li||LiFePO4 and Li||LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cells utilizing Li thin-film anodes exhibit extended long-term stability with significantly improved average Coulombic efficiency. This work offers new insights into the functions of diluents in LHCEs and provides direction for further optimizing the LHCEs for LMBs.

Orally disintegrating tablets: formulation, preparation, and quality control assessment

Orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) are a new formulation that dissolves in saliva within seconds, and there is no need to drink water. Due to its many benefits, this dosage form is an effective way to administer active pharmacological substances, especially for pediatric, geriatric, psychiatric, paralyzed, and bedridden patients. ODTs have been shown to have superior patient compatibility and drug solubility in numerous studies that have compared this tablet form with conventional forms in vitro and in vivo. There are many substances used to achieve enhanced characteristics, including super disintegrants such as croscarmellose sodium and crospovidone to achieve rapid disintegration and dissolution, and selection of appropriate diluent, binder, sweetening agents, flavoring materials, and lubricant are required to make tablets dissolve quickly. This dosage type can be prepared in several techniques, including direct compression, sublimation, freeze-drying, lyophilization, spray drying, molding, Process of cotton candy, Massextrusion, phase extrusion, and Melt Granulation. Formulation and selection of appropriate excipients are discussed, and ODTs' preparation techniques are illustrated in this review. Laboratory evaluation and quality control measures, including precompression (micromeritics parameters) to adjust formulation and obtain the optimized formulations to be produced and scale up and post-compression parameters for ODTs, are also discussed in this review.

Role of Bio-Based and Fossil-Based Reactive Diluents in Epoxy Coatings with Amine and Phenalkamine Crosslinker.

The properties of epoxy can be adapted depending on the selection of bio-based diluents and crosslinkers to balance the appropriate viscosity for processing and the resulting mechanical properties for coating applications. This work presents a comprehensive study on the structure-property relationships for epoxy coatings with various diluents of mono-, di-, and bio-based trifunctional glycidyl ethers or bio-based epoxidized soybean oil added in appropriate concentration ranges, in combination with a traditional fossil-based amine or bio-based phenalkamine crosslinker. The viscosity of epoxy resins was already reduced for diluents with simple linear molecular configurations at low concentrations, while higher concentrations of more complex multifunctional diluents were needed for a similar viscosity reduction. The curing kinetics were evaluated through the fitting of data from differential scanning calorimetry to an Arrhenius equation, yielding the lowest activation energies for difunctional diluents in parallel with a balance between viscosity and reactivity. While the variations in curing kinetics with a change in diluent were minor, the phenalkamine crosslinkers resulted in a stronger decrease in activation energy. For cured epoxy resins, the glass transition temperature was determined as an intrinsic parameter that was further related to the mechanical coating performance. Considerable effects of the diluents on coating properties were investigated, mostly showing a reduction in abrasive wear for trifunctional diluents in parallel with the variations in hardness and ductility. The high hydrophobicity for coatings with diluents remained after wear and provided good protection. In conclusion, the coating performance could be related to the intrinsic mechanical properties independently of the fossil- or bio-based origin of diluents and crosslinkers, while additional lubricating properties are presented for vegetable oil diluents.

Development of porous polyketone membrane via liquid–liquid thermally induced phase separation

In recent years, polyketone (PK) porous membranes have attracted significant attention in separation technology owing to its high tolerance to organic solvents. However, its excellent solvent resistance complicates PK membrane preparation procedure, requiring the use of toxic solvents in the conventional nonsolvent induced phase separation (NIPS) method. In this study, the thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) method was explored to prepare porous membranes with PK homopolymer and copolymer. By screening many diluents, we found potential diluents that could be applied to the TIPS method for PK membrane preparation. Two kinds diluent (PEG300 and DPrP) for CPK and one kind pure diluent (PEG200) for HPK were screened to induce L-L phase separation. In the membrane preparation by the liquid–liquid (L-L) phase separation system, the influence of the PK type, cooling conditions, and polymer concentration on the final membrane structure was investigated. Finally, the porous structure, water permeance, and mechanical properties of the membranes prepared using the NIPS and TIPS methods were compared. Prepared CPK and HPK membrane with 25 wt% concentration by TIPS method showed high water permeability (400 and 480 L m−2h−1bar−1) and tensile strength (4.6 and 4.9 MPa). This study will facilitate the development of high-performance PK membranes using the TIPS method, particularly in the selection of diluents.

An effective and stability-indicating method development and optimization utilizing the Box-Behnken design for the simultaneous determination of acetaminophen, caffeine, and aspirin in tablet formulation.

Analytical techniques must be sensitive, specific, and accurate to assess the active pharmaceutical ingredients in pharmaceutical dosage forms. The quality-by-design (QbD) application has proven to be a practical method for magnifying HPLC operations. This article discusses the successfully developed QbD-based stability-indicative LC method for evaluating acetaminophen, caffeine, and aspirin (ASP) in tablet dosage form. To achieve the necessary chromatographic separation, Milli-Q water, methanol, and glacial acetic acid were employed in the following ratios: 63:35:2 (v/v/v) for mobile phase A and 18:80:2 (v/v/v) for mobile phase B. The flow rate, column temperature, and detecting wavelength were 1.0ml/min, 40°C, and 275 nm, respectively, and an InertSustain C18 analytical column (150 × 4.6mm, 3μm) was used. Linearity was between 10.0 and 150.0μg/ml for ASP and acetaminophen and between 2.6 and 39.0μg/ml for caffeine. The accuracy findings were more than 97%, and the correlation coefficient for all three components was found to be greater than 0.999. The validated HPLC method yielded reliable and accurate results. ASP was shown to be vulnerable to both acid and alkaline hydrolysis in the forced degradation study. The described method is capable of separating the degradants produced during stress testing and is regarded as stability indicating. The proposed method can be used for a wider range of other formulations with an appropriate diluent selection and sample preparation procedure optimization.

Logistic-Regression-Based Meta-Analysis of Factors Affecting Flame Stability in a Shock Tube

ABSTRACT This work describes a meta-analysis performed in an effort to better understand the parameters controlling flame stability in shock-tube flame experiments. The data set used in the analysis was aggregated from multiple prior studies employing the shock-tube flame speed method, as well as previously unreported results. Flames are first qualitatively classified as being smooth, distorted, or wrinkled based on end-wall images. A subset of trials capturing the stability transition from stable to unstable flames are then selected from each set of experiments. Across all data sets, the transition between stable and unstable flames is analyzed as a binary classification problem using logistic regression. The resulting classification model, cast in terms of a multivariate power-law expression for the critical temperature ( T crit ) at which flames become unstable, is found to be highly predictive of the stability transition. Consideration of the trained model coefficients allows the effects of different experimental parameters on T crit to be identified. Model parameters provide significant new insight into the selection of diluents in experiments; the use of a test gas with a high heat capacity ratio is found to have the most beneficial effect toward increasing T crit , while the effects of Lewis number and molecular weight are determined to be negligible. Ignition-location and pressure effects are less well quantified due to limited available data and are identified as key areas of further study.

Contribution of an anticancer drug compounding robot in reducing the risks of manual preparation in a hospital pharmacy unit specialized in oncology.

In the last few years, pharmaceutical technology has evolved. In the field of oncology pharmacy, robots for the preparation of anti-cancer drugs have appeared to progressively replace manual preparation. The objective of this study is to evaluate the contribution of the robot in reducing the risk of manual preparation. The study was conducted at the pharmacy of the National Institute of Oncology in Rabat (May-August 2021). The method used to compare the two types of preparation is the method of analysis of failure modes, their effects and their criticality (FMECA). It will calculate the criticality index (CI = severity × frequency × detectability). The risks have been categorized into human, technical, and environmental risks. The anticancer drugs reconstitution step was the most critical in manual preparation (CI = 126.7) and robotic preparation (CI = 40.7). The robot has made it possible to reduce several CIs of manual preparation including: musculoskeletal disorders of pharmacy operators -93 (89%), error in cancer drug and diluent selection -72 (60%), as well as lack of traceability -145 (97%). The preparation robot has made it possible to reduce many of the risks of manual preparation, and constitutes an important advance in the field of oncology pharmacy.

A criterion of diluent selection for the polymeric membrane formation via thermally induced phase separation process based on Hansen solubility parameter theory

The Hansen solubility parameter (HSP) theory, which includes the Hansen dispersion (D), polar (P), and hydrogen (H) components and a derivative ‘solubility parameter distance, Ra’ parameter, was adopted to evaluate the interaction between different polymers and their various diluents, so as to obtain a valuable and feasible criterion for the diluent selection of the thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) process for the preparation of polymeric membranes. Firstly, a full-scale database of the four HSP parameters of typical polymer-diluent systems was obtained based on a complete literature review about the phase separation process of all the polymer/diluents systems that have been applied to prepare polymeric membranes via TIPS and our additional exploratory experiments for membrane formation mechanism, in which two different phase separation processes including solid to liquid and liquid to liquid were distinguished. Relationships between the Ra parameter and the phase separation behavior were figured out to get a criterion for selecting the single diluent for the typical polymers. Moreover, the diluent selection was extended by adding a second diluent, and a schematic three-dimensional phase diagram was drawn to provide a feasible understanding of the TIPS process of the polymer-binary diluent system. Taking polypropylene (PP) as the representative example, plenty of exploratory experiments for the membrane formation mechanism based on a literature review were conducted to propose a guide based on the Hansen polar and hydrogen solubility component parameters to help select a proper binary diluent system.

Optimization of diluents on the basis of SeDeM-ODT expert system for formulation development of ODTs of glimepiride

The present study aimed to optimize diluents characteristics (rheological characteristics, compressibility and disintegration behavior) using SeDeM-ODT expert system, to mask poor characteristics of APIs and will help in development of a formulation which is to be processed by direct compression technique. On the basis of SeDeM-ODT experts system, various parameters were determined for glimepiride, diluents and other excipients, and evaluated their suitability for direct compression and bucco-dispersibility. Diluents were selected and powder blend of all the developed formulations were tested as per SeDeM-ODT expert system. Powder blends were compressed to ODTs and cross carmellose sodium was used as super dissintegrant. Different parameters of the powder blend related to flow were evaluated while compressed tablets were subjected to various official and un-official quality control tests. SeDeM-ODT Experts system was successfully applied for optimization of diluents and all the formulations exhibited better flow, disintegration behavior and sufficient mechanical strength, irrespective of the addition of other excipients having poor characteristics. Results of the developed formulations was same as predicted in terms of rapid disintegration (disintegration < 60sec) and high mechanical strength (crushing strength greater than 40 N) of the tablets. SeDeM-ODT expert system can help in selection of diluents with optimum characteristics, required for tablet preparation by direct compression, facilitating the process of formulation development and avoided extensive experimentation, as carried out in conventional statistical optimization.

An Investigation on the Viscosity Reduction of Iranian Heavy Crude Oil through Dilution Method

An increase in the global energy demand and also the shortage of conventional crude oil resources have led to an increase in the attention to unconventional crude oil resources. However, unconventional crude oils need additional processes which make their production and refining costly. Therefore, some techniques including heating, dilution, or creating oil in water emulsions have been proposed to solve this problem. In the present study, the dilution method has been investigated to reduce the viscosity of heavy Iranian crude oil produced in the Nowrouz field which has a viscosity of 608 mPa.s and API of 19.5 at 25°C. After a preliminary diluent selection, the examined diluents were kerosene, diesel, and toluene in the range of 5-30% v/v in 25°C. It was found that using toluene at 30% v/v reduces the viscosity of crude oil/diluent blend up to 97% in comparison with initial crude oil. To predict the viscosity of crude oil/diluent blend, simple mixing rules and mixing rules based on the viscosity blending index have been examined. It was found that the prediction accuracy for the crude oil/toluene blends was not satisfactory. Koval, Maxwell, and Almaamari mixing rules showed the best results for predicting the viscosity of blends using kerosene and diesel diluents.

Application of modified SeDeM expert diagram system for selection of direct compression excipient for liquisolid formulation of Neusilin® US2

In the present investigations, the SeDeM expert diagram system, modified to include two important compression properties, i.e. mean yield pressure, Py, and compactibility parameter, σtmax, was used to identify a diluent most suitable for the direct compression of a liquisolid formulation of Neusilin® US2 (50NEU). The mean incidence values of 50NEU demonstrated that it had poor flowability and compactibility, and was highly hygroscopic. Three commonly used directly compressible tablet diluents, viz. lactose monohydrate, microcrystalline cellulose, and dibasic calcium phosphate, selected based on their index of good compressibility (IGC) values were evaluated for their usefulness for direct compression of 50NEU. Mathematical equations based on the linear and power mixing rules were used to calculate the percentage of diluent required for direct compression. The powder blends prepared using lactose monohydrate resulted in fragile tablets, dibasic calcium phosphate exhibited poor compactibility, however, powder blends containing microcrystalline cellulose resulted in tablets with acceptable compactibility. This demonstrated the significance of a rational selection of excipients based on their SeDeM parameters rather than the IGC values. Additionally, the study results showed that the modified SeDeM expert system was superior to the conventional SeDeM system for the selection of diluent for direct compression.

Consideration of Diluents Selection and Input Amounts of the Hunter Process for Tantalum Production

Tantalum (Ta) is a heavy refractory metal with an atomic weight of 180.95 g/mol, a density of 16.6 g/cm3, and a high melting point of 3017 °C. With its refractory characteristics, it shows excellent chemical and physical stability as well as corrosion and heat resistance at elevated temperatures. The demand for Ta metal and related compounds is increasing with the expansion of the electronics and chemical industries. The Hunter process was proven to be effective in producing Ta powder in 1953. Hunter proposed a method in which potassium heptafluorotantalate (K2TaF7) was reduced by sodium (Na). Thus far, this process has been the primary commercial method to produce Ta powder. In this study, quantitative differences were analyzed for diluent selection. Additionally, consideration was given to changes in the caloric value depending on the input amount of diluents. Finally, the optimum material input and the properties of the prepared Ta were analyzed. Stoichiometric ratios of K2TaF7(1 mol), NaCl (6.2–6.7 mol), Na (5–7 mol) were weighed, to perform a metallothermic reduction reaction. After the reaction, the tantalum powder was recovered and the flush process was carried out. After that, it was dried in a vacuum atmosphere. Physical properties such as oxygen concentration, PSA, ICP-OES, and XRD of powder were conducted to evaluate the characteristics of Ta powder that was finally manufactured.

In‐process flow behavior and structure formation during supercritical fluid extrusion of milk protein concentrate

The in-line flow behavior of milk protein concentrate (MPC) and MPC-sucrose (MPC-S) blends with and without added supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2) during extrusion was quantified using a slit die rheometer and related to the expansion characteristics of extrudates. The apparent viscosity of the melt was in order: MPC > MPC + SC-CO2 > MPC-S > MPC-S + SC-CO2. A lower viscosity reduction factor due to SC-CO2 incorporation was observed for MPC-S (1.3–1.1) compared to MPC (1.5–1.2) owing to decreased volume fraction of protein in MPC-S. Increase in the apparent viscosity increased the expansion ratio for both MPC and MPC-S extrudates from 2.2 to 4.3 and 1.9 to 4 and decreased the average cell size from 924 to 392 and 936 to 354 µm, respectively. Thus, expansion and cellular architecture of MPC-based extrudates can be improved by controlling the melt viscosity. The findings of this study could have significant utility in designing novel milk protein-based products. Practical applications Milk protein concentrates are highly valuable and nutritionally attractive products and their conversion into expanded and texturally designed foods will be a valuable addition to the market. The cellular architecture of such foods is one of the primary indicators of the consumer-acceptable quality and depends upon the melt rheology, which in turn is related to the feed composition and processing conditions within the extruder. Relating the in-line rheological properties to extrudate characteristics can provide better decision-making ability for the selection of feed ingredients, diluents, and inert ingredients for the development of expanded milk protein puffs of commercial utility.

Selection criteria of diluents of tri-n-butyl phosphate for recovering neodymium(III) from nitrate solutions

The selection of a proper diluent should be based on several criteria such as the distribution ratio, phase disengagement time, cost, safety and environmental impact of the process. The effect of different diluents on the solvent extraction of Nd(III) by the neutral extractant tri-n-butylphosphate (TBP) from nitrate feed solutions was studied. The nature of the diluent had little effect on the extraction kinetics of Nd(III) by TBP above 2.5min. In general, phase disengagement times were relatively shorter for aromatic diluents compared to aliphatic diluents. Conversely, extraction efficiencies were the highest for aliphatic diluents, slightly lower for mixed aliphatic-aromatic diluents and much lower for aromatic diluents. The poorer extraction efficiencies of aromatic diluents maybe due to the lower concentration of free extractant as a result of the stronger interactions of the diluent with water and/or of the diluent with the extractant. Under the experimental conditions, the differences in extraction between aliphatic and aromatic diluents decreased with increasing the salting-out effect of nitrate ions in the feed. At nitrate concentrations of 4.5molL−1 or more, the different diluents had a limited influence on the metal extraction with 1molL−1 TBP from feed solutions of 1gL−1 Nd(III). Thus, under these conditions, the selection of the diluent can be preferably based on its cost, safety and biodegradability rather than on its physico-chemical properties.

Dilution and microfiltration of particulate corticosteroids for spinal epidural injections: impact on drug concentration and agglomerate formation.

Particulate corticosteroids have been described to lead to greater pain improvement compared with their non-particulate counterparts when used in epidural injections. It is hypothesised that filtering may significantly impact their concentration and long-term efficacy. We investigated if passing particulate suspensions through different commonly-used filters affects drug dosage. Two particulate corticosteroid formulations, triamcinolone acetonide and methylprednisolone acetate, were mixed at different concentrations with either bupivacaine hydrochloride or 0.9% sodium chloride. Solutions were passed through a 5-μm and a 0.2-μm filter. Mass spectroscopy results indicated a complete loss of corticosteroid from the solutions using both filters, and light microscopy imaging demonstrated agglomerate formation, suggesting that filtering interferes with drug dosage. The choice of diluents must also be considered to reduce large agglomerate formation. Clinicians should be aware of the consequences of filtering particulate suspensions and carefully consider the selection of diluent when considering treatment plans.

ENRICHMENT OF IN VIVO EFFICACY OF CATECHIN RICH EXTRACT WITH THE APPLICATION OF NANOTECHNOLOGY

Objective: The primary goal of this study was to convert a natural catechin-rich extract into nanoparticles by using a biodegradable and non-toxic polymer Eudragit L 100 to address the various biopharmaceutical problems of catechin.Methods: Nanoparticles were prepared by emulsion solvent evaporation technique using Eudragit L 100 in increasing concentration. Optimization of processing conditions like a selection of organic solvents, diluent and surfactant concentrations, drug and polymer ratio and method of drying to increase the biological efficiency were duly attempted. Parameters such as dynamic light scattering, zeta potential, SEM and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were assessed for the evaluation of nanoparticles.Results: The entrapment efficiency was found to be between 35-45 % with methanol compared to other organic solvents. The zeta potential values of all the formulations were in the range of±30 mV to±60 mV) which confirms moderate to good stability. A rapid or ‘burst’ effect of the drug release in pH 6.8 buffer showing 92 % in the first 30 min which gradually decreased to 52 % by the end of 180 min but in the pH 7.4, the release was found to be moderate. SEM and DLS indicated particles were of spherical shape lying in a nanometer range of 100 to 200 nm with a proportional influence of polymer on the particles size.Conclusion: Nanoformulations were found to be more stable and confirmed the presence of major elements such as carbon and oxygen. The findings collectively indicate that it may be worthwhile to apply nanotechnology for the design of an advanced oral dosage form for an enhanced bioavailability and biological efficacy.

Development of sperm cryopreservation protocol of endangered spiny eel, Mastacembelus armatus (Lacepede 1800) for ex-situ conservation

The study was conducted to develop sperm cryopreservation protocol for the endangered spiny eel, Mastacembelus armatus as well as to use the cryopreserved sperm in breeding. Activation of sperm was evaluated by observing motility in different osmolalities of NaCl solution (48–319 mOsmol/kg) and found that sperm motility decreased with increasing osmolality of the NaCl solution and it was totally inhibited at 319 mOsmol/kg. The highest motility and swimming duration of sperm were observed as 14.5 ± 0.5 min and 4.75 ± 0.25 min at 128 mOsmol/kg and 67 mOsmol/kg, respectively. The concentration of sperm was found to be 1.75 × 1010 to 2.25 × 1010 cells/ml. Evaluation of toxicity of cryoprotectants of dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO) and methanol to sperm was performed at 5, 10 and 15% concentrations during 5–30 min incubation period and found that cryoprotectants with 5 and 10% concentrations produced better motility up to 10 min incubation. In the selection of suitable diluent for cryopreservation of sperm, Alsever's solution with 10% Me2SO performed best producing 91.67 ± 1.67% and 65 ± 2.89% equilibration and post-thaw motility, respectively. In breeding trials, sperm preserved with Alsever's solution plus Me2SO produced more or less similar fertilization (82.25 ± 4.46%) and hatching (12 ± 0.65%) to those preserved with 0.9% NaCl solution plus Me2SO as 79.88 ± 4.67% and 11 ± 0.46% fertilization and hatching respectively. Fresh sperm used as control produced 87.63 ± 3.6% and 14 ± 0.5% fertilization and hatching respectively. Both cryopreserved and fresh sperm-derived fry performed well but the control fry showed a significantly better (P < 0.05) growth. Fry derived from four diluents did not show any significant (P > 0.05) growth difference but Alsever's solution plus Me2SO produced better results.

Dissipative particle dynamics study and experimental verification on the pore morphologies and diffusivity of the poly (4-methyl-1-pentene)-diluent system via thermally induced phase separation: The effect of diluent and polymer concentration

Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulation was performed to construct the mesophase membrane morphologies of poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) (PMP) during thermally induced phase separation (TIPS). The PMP morphologies and their fluid diffusivities relationship was established using a mesoscale 3-D tetragonal-like structure construction. The effects of PMP concentration and the use of a single diluent (dioctyl phthalate, diphenyl ether, and dibutyl phthalate) or a mixed diluent on the pore morphology were compared. The diffusivity resistance was evaluated by comparing the mean square displacement of a hypothetical fluid bead through tetragonal-like morphologies in three normal directions. The 3-D morphology and density profile results revealed that larger pores were produced after TIPS when the PMP-diluent interaction was weaker. Radial distribution function analysis showed that poor diluent and high PMP concentration could form a coarsened structure with less interconnectivity, indicating more diffusion resistance. To verify DPD simulation results, PMP hollow fibre membranes (HFMs) were fabricated via TIPS, and HFM cross-sectional morphologies proved that the pore structures agreed with the DPD-simulation 3-D evolution diagram. The structure-fluid diffusivity resistance relationship was also confirmed by porosity measurements and gas permeation testing. The DPD simulation method is promising for the fabrication and design of gas-diffusive membranes, especially in terms of the rational selection of diluent and polymer concentration.